Smooth election sees big showing from Summit

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Election Day 2012 went off with only a few bumps in the road, even as a historic 92 percent of the active electorate in Summit County went out to cast its ballots for the next president.

"I was just so happy about the huge turnout," Summit County Clerk and Recorder and chief election official Kathy Neel said Wednesday. "For that many people voting in Summit, it went really smoothly."

Lines stretched out at polling places across the county Tuesday as local voter participation blew away even the uncharacteristically high 87 percent turnout seen in the 2008 presidential election.

Participation numbers by party are not yet available, but Summit County voters held with tradition, overwhelmingly backing the Democratic candidates in the presidential, congressional, state Senate and House, district attorney and county commissioner races. Nearly 70 percent of Summit County voters approved Amendment 64, a measure legalizing limited amounts of marijuana for people over the age of 21.

With election officials in other counties across Colorado braced to pull all nighters, initial Summit County election results were in by 9 p.m. as President Barack Obama surged to an earlier-than-expected victory.

With contingency plans in place, election judges were able to sidestep a few system glitches on Election Day, including a blown modem at the Silverthorne Pavilion vote center, which temporarily put the brakes on voting. Other small Internet problems also cropped up throughout the day.

"Nothing ever turns out the way you think it's going to, but we always have a contingency plan in place," Neel said.

Across the state, approximately 70 percent of voters cast ballots and Colorado went to the Democrats, with 50 percent supporting Obama.